Cessna L-19/OE-1 Birddog

[oddshot]

I always admired the guys that flew low and slow over Vietnam ... just LOOKIN' for trouble ... and givin' their all to help out the guys on the ground. The Cessna L-19/OE-1 Birddog couldn't be more aptly named. No hunter ever had a more fearless, reliable and ready companion.

This is not really a "scale" model as such. I'd been learning to fly RC using this Hobby Zone Aeronca Champ (a GREAT little plane to learn on BTW). It was during one of the patch up sessions after an evening of HARD learnin' ... that I noticed how easy this foam stuff could be worked ... and started to see other shapes that I could carve the Champ into. The first thing into my mind was to build a plane to honor the men of Marine Observation Squadron Six, the Tomcats of VMO-6.

AS I said this is not REALLY a scale model. Anybody familiar with the Birddog will spot that the fuselage profile is WAY wrong, but it looks pretty close when I'm flying over my tomato garden, calling in arty and coordinating airstrikes and dustoffs.

As for other HZ Champ based projects ... I think I see a Beechcraft YC-43 (US Army) or a GB-1 (USN) Staggerwing hidden in the thick foam of the Champ fuselage. I think, with a little cuttin' and sandin' I just might be able to coax one out of there.

 

[m1010plowboy]

That is just beautiful. There is a great write up on the Cessna here http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2146995

Good coverage on the original plane and conversation on the model.

Got a buddy with a little ocd using his air-brush to detail his toys but the decal layout is always the eye catcher. Yours look schpectakular so how'd you do it?

 

[oddshot]

That is just beautiful.

Thank you very much.

There is a great write up on the Cessna here http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2146995

Thank you again. Me and another guy (Dave) started that forum. It is a library of scale drawings and 3 views of aircraft ... NOT model plans. I post there as Tedd60

Got a buddy with a little ocd using his air-brush to detail his toys but the decal layout is always the eye catcher. Yours look schpectakular so how'd you do it?

The build thread on that model is here:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1684392&highlight=birddog

It pretty much tells the whole thing except for the decals (I think).

I made the lettering etc using a Word program.

The insignia I made using the standard Word program with some clip art.

Then I painted one side of a piece of gift wrap tissue with white spray paint and I taped the tissue (paint side down) to a piece of paper and ran it through my printer.

This gave me the out line of the letters AND the insignia in color.

Then came the tough part ... cutting out all them letters VERY carefully with a sharp pair of scissors.

A little stick glue to install the letters, followed with a brush coat of satin finish poly.


I had to spray paint the back of the white letters to keep the green showing through the tissue.

That's about it.

Its a little heavier than a HZ Champ due to the weight of the paint ... but it still flys well enough to keep the VC outta my garden!

T

 

[Flyingvan911]

Very cool.